THERE is a bizarre dance taking place near the top of the first division - it is called the "Play-off Excuse Me."

The gist is that you get yourself into a position to make a top six spot your own and then proceed to invite everyone else to take it from you.

In fact the sides below the runaway pair of Wolves and Manchester City seem determined to drop points quicker than Cockneys drop aitches.

That can be the only reason that the Clarets are clinging on to fifth spot despite a return of just one point from their last three games.

On another hugely disappointing night for Stan Ternent's men the four teams immediately outside the top six all slipped up to ensure that Burnley's fate remains firmly in their own hands.

Defeats for Birmingham and Preston and goalless home draws for Norwich and Crystal Palace meant the punishment was no more severe than the loss of three points to struggling Walsall - but that was punishment enough.

"I lost a couple of nights sleep coming up with the right team to play tonight," admitted Walsall boss Colin Lee but it is his opposite number who will have nightmares after the latest setback of 2002.

His side may have started each half in the ascendancy, they may have been unlucky to have a goal given against them when on another night a foul would have been given and they may have struck the woodwork.

But none of that was of any comfort to Ternent after the game.

He had seen his side create 15 chances but hit the target just twice and on each occasion a moderately able bodied octogenarian could have coped with the threat posed to Saddlers' stopper James Walker.

The goal statistics make increasingly depressing reading and even a late charge of the white brigade could not improve on a run of just 11 goals in the last 13 games.

That late assault featured the trio of defenders, Steve Davis, Arthur Gnohere and late sub Ian Cox, piling forward to try and get a head, a boot or even a backside to a long punt forward.

But the break that went the way of their hosts early in the second half eluded them and Marcelo's scrappy and controversial goal settled the match.

It came at a time when Burnley were on top but, out of nothing, Walsall forced their first corner of the night in the 52nd minute.

"It was a worked move for the goal," explained Lee. "It is one we do in training and it doesn't matter how it goes in, it counts."

The routine appeared simple, Darren Wrack swinging the ball under the crossbar, three players crowded out Marlon Beresford and the ever dangerous Marcelo scrambled the ball home.

It was the use of Steve Corica in support of Marcelo that had caused Lee to miss out on kip ahead of the game.

Both sides had made two changes from the weekend when they both drew 1-1. For the Clarets, Gordon Armstrong and Ian Moore came in for the injured Glen Little and striker Robbie Blake.

Colin Lee dropped Jorge Leitao and had Martin O'Connor injured, replacing them with Frederic Biancalani and Tom Bennett.

"I know Steve's ability and I decided to use him in the hole, in a Teddy Sheringham or Eric Cantona role," he said. "I think we were one step ahead of them.

"We knew that they change their shape quite a lot and I thought they might play five across the midfield. It took us about ten or 15 minutes for us to get our rhythm going but from then on our play was quite pleasing."

Ternent did indeed start with five across the midfield despite naming striker Moore in the side. He took up a deeper role but in those opening minutes his electric pace caused all sorts of problems for the home defence.

In the 12th minute he hassled and harried Zigor Aranalde but having won the ball his low cross to the far post was cleared by the other full back Greg Shields for a Burnley corner.

It was one of ten they forced throughout the night but none of which caused the havoc of Walsall's rare effort.

But having dominated the opening exchanges the Saddlers started to get into the game with Marcelo and Corica looking particularly lively.

In the 26th minute a great run by Corica ended with a through ball to Marcelo but Beresford was quick to sprint from his line and snuff out the danger.

Three minutes before the break Marcelo looked set to break his duck since his move from Birmingham City last month.

At the interval Armstrong made way for Paul Cook and the midfielder immediately made an impact with some probing passes but another sweet left foot, Lee Briscoe's, looked to have given Taylor a chance to head his 15th goal of the season but Ian Roper got to the ball before him.

Five minutes later Walsall struck and the Clarets were again playing catch-up and they should have gone further behind in the 56th minute after Beresford's superb one handed save denied Marcelo a second and Wrack fired the rebound over the bar.

Ternent introduced Brad Maylett in the 58th minute and he was immediately involved in the best move of the match.

Collecting Ian Moore's cross field pass he laid the ball back to Dean West who swung a cross to the far post that Taylor headed against the upright.

The Clarets were never to get closer.

Kevin Ball and Alan Moore, twice, had serious shots in anger and Ian Moore's back header might have punished a rare slip by Roper but it was not to be.

The fact that the creative talents of Robbie Blake were left on the bench as they chased the game would suggest the £1million man is still not fully fit.

For all those who are still dreaming of promotion, it is to be hoped the creativity that inspired the flood of goals before Christmas will return sooner rather than later.

WALSALL...1

Marcelo 52

BURNLEY...0

Attendance:...5,611